The in between
by LolaSenpai
Summary: No matter what cruel torture the scarlet haired knight underwent, she had to keep fighting; because he told her to.


"Keep fighting."

Eyelids drooped, her head slumping, her radiant scarlet hair falling forward, shadowing all facial features she possessed, her body became limp, all signs of life completely indistinguishable. The once blurred vision she honed had now become bathed in complete darkness.

The knight had lost.

Moments only passed, and her eyes had opened once more, only for herself to be sat in the very place she so direly wanted to be at; home. Sitting in her usual seat beside the large narrow window, a mug of warm tea laid in front of her on the wooden table, it felt like a dream to her, had everything she endured seemed like a complete illusion? A twisted nightmare conjured from the surprisingly darker side of the fairies mind? She instantly questioned her sanity.

As she remained seated, the doors of her beloved home opened slowly, revealing a shrouded figure, whom began to approach the very place she sat. Her brows furrowing; eyes beginning to narrow as she scanned the figures demeanour; her eyes then widened out of shock at the individual approaching her.

"You look cosy." The figure spoke up upon seating them-self; a smirk riddled across their facial features, the knight merely sat in astonishment, her body unknowingly began to quiver as the nerves started to consume her, her hands that rested on the table slowly shifted onto her lap; hiding her nerved visage; a softened clearing of her throat escaped her lips, as a faux-like scowl began to take shape. Her tone remaining uninterested.

"Siegrain." She retorted bluntly.

"Oh come now, dearest Erza. Must your tone be so bitter? I am a rest friend after all.~" he cooed, his tone remaining everlastingly smooth.

Oh how she despised the thought projections calmed demeanour.

A dulled 'hmph' escaped her peach shaded lips, a simplistic roll of her raven orbs indicated her low level of interest.

"What do you want.." She replied quietly.

"Well, my sweet. It appears we have both suffered the same fate." It were as if the knights heart had stopped at that precise moment; so to speak.

"Wh-.. What..?" She inquired, fear evident in her tone, the bluenette let out a soft sigh; accompanied by a nod.

"I'm sorry to say this, love. But.. We're not in Fairy Tail." He retorted, his once cool and contented tone now became laced with something similar to sheer seriousness.

"We've reached the in between." He added.

"The.. In between?" She asked with a quizzical expression. The thought projection simply nodded.

"That's right, the place where lost souls are. Stuck in between heaven above and hell below." He answered with a sigh.

The red haired mage couldn't believe her ears, the shaking from the nerves of her encounter with the bluenette wasn't a fragment on the sensations she felt, overwhelmed with a feeling of emptiness slowly residing within her, she glanced away from the male sitting before her, her tone radiating with utter-dismay and hurt.

"I-.. I didn't make it..? /you/ didn't make it..?" She stuttered, her tone had become completely fragile, unlike her. Without adding a retort, he simply nodded. The females breath hitched, the once empty feeling within her was replaced with a tightness in her chest, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, slowly building before streaming effortlessly down her flawless, rose shaded cheeks.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, my dearest Erza.. I'm sorry that /he/ was not there either." He spat the last segment of his reply in disgust, not wanting to mention the very man whom he stemmed from.

Ezra's head slowly fell, gazing down at the navy elongated skirt she so proudly wore, her fists clenching the material covering her lap, the tears falling from her chin, dark droplets merging with the material.

"H-.. How did I not survive.. I mean, I won't lie in stating how excruciating it was.. But.. I didn't think it would be enough to..." Her broken speech began to trail somewhat, incapable of finishing her sentence without her tears streaming heavier.

Before she knew it, two gentle palms reached forward over the table that separated them, placing them tenderly on both sides of her cheeks, bringing her head up once more to face him.

"Please, Scarlet.. Spare your tears, you aren't the type to cry, now isn't the type to start." His tone became soft, pouring with sympathetic sincerity.

"Such a brave soul.. Admirable, really. It's not a surprise that you were on my pathetic other halves mind so often, but.. I know you, Erza. Far better than he does." He added.

"My dear, dear Scarlet.. Don't let such an obstacle throw you into disarray, we are in the /in between/. Death is not guaranteed, neither is rebirth. Tell me, Erza, how much would you give to see your fellow companions again?" He asked, his hands still gently holding onto the tiers of her heated cheeks.

"I-.. I would do.. /anything/ to see them again." She retorted almost silently, the tears made her raven shaded orbs radiate with a glistening glow, her tone had been broken to the point where it seemed as if she were speaking silently, nothin but heartbreak overwhelmed her.

"Then you know what I'm about to say next then, love."

At that moment, a sharp pain instantly overwhelmed her senses, her vision blurred suddenly, she pulled away from the bluenettes tender hold of her, slamming her back sorry against her seat, the pain surged through her, settling in her head, she brought her hands up to her head, clutching the roots of her scarlet hair intensely to divert the unbearable pain she felt.

"Help me, Siegrain..!" She blurted out in a panicked tone.

"Scarlet.. My dear, /dear/ Scarlet..." He trailed softly.

"Keep fighting." He finished.

Erzas eyes widened, a sharpened gasp escaping the knight as her body returned to a familiar state she knew all too well; pained.

Her naked body trembled and jerked in an untameable fashion, the new scars in addition to her previous ones throbbing agonisingly, the sweat pouring from her body formed a dampened puddle around her, she dragged her chin across the ground; observing her surroundings.

She was back, she was still in Tartaros' headquarters, a weakened sigh escaped her; but deep down, beneath the pain barrier lied the feeling of relief and satisfaction.

She had fought her way back, with the help of someone whom she least expected. Until the realisation settled in, he was still there; alone. Given the fact that her body had been exerted to the highest extent, he still had the energy within her to muster the tears that wasted no time in streaming down her bruised cheeks. Clenching her jaw weakly, she groaned as the tears continued to fall uncontrollably, her voice broken once more.

"Thank you, Siegrain..."


End file.
